


Helping Hand

by ami_ven



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Community: writerverse, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-15
Updated: 2016-04-15
Packaged: 2018-06-02 08:10:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6558868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Sergeant James Barnes, let me introduce Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Helping Hand

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "writerverse" prompt "what's so funny?"

“Okay,” said Tony, “I’m going to need you to hold _real_ still for this part.”

Bucky, sitting shirtless on the workbench, narrowed his eyes. “What is this part?”

“The tricky part,” Tony said, honestly. “The docs cleaned up your arm… shoulder…” he waved vaguely at the space where Bucky’s left arm had been, “…socket thing, whatever. And I built you a state-of-the-art replacement, to the absolute best specs they and you could come up with. But there’s no way to avoid a certain amount of probably painful fitting.”

“You’ll be fine, Buck,” said Steve, standing beside him. He held out his hand, in a clear invitation of support. “Tony is a genius, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Bucky said, and set his right palm in Steve’s. After all, if you couldn’t trust your best friend’s best guy, who could you trust? “Go ahead.”

It did hurt, a lot. But it helped a lot more than he’d thought to be keeping still of his own volition, to feel Steve’s heartbeat against his, to hear Tony muttering technological-sounding nonsense under his breath.

“Okay,” Tony said again, at last. He disconnected the prosthetic arm again. “Sorry. I think I’ve got it now, I’ll make some adjustments and I’ll—”

“ _Sir_ ,” said JARVIS’s disembodied voice, “ _Colonel Rhodes is requesting entrance to the lab._ ”

“Rhodey’s here?” said Tony. “J, you couldn’t give me any warning?”

“ _It seemed unwise to interrupt_ ,” the AI replied. “ _Shall I let him in?_ ”

“A colonel?” asked Bucky, warily— the soviet military had brainwashed and controlled him, and most of the current US military seemed to want him dead or tried for war crimes— but Steve smiled.

“Rhodey’s a friend,” he said, “JARVIS, please let him in.”

The man who entered was about Tony’s age, dark-skinned and handsome. He was wearing dungarees— jeans, they were called now— and a button-down shirt that clung very nicely, in all the right places. Bucky didn’t realize he was staring until Steve squeezed his hand, with a chuckle, and let go.

“Sergeant James Barnes,” he said, “let me introduce Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes.”

“Honorably discharged,” Bucky corrected, but he saluted anyway.

Rhodey snapped to attention automatically, then frowned. “No, no, I should be saluting you!”’

“You outrank me, sir.”

“But you’re a civilian,” Rhodey protested. “And I’ve always—”

He broke off, abruptly, and Tony grinned at him. “Always what?”

“Shut up, Tony,” he muttered, sharply.

The genius only grinned more. “Steve,” he said, “did I ever tell you that Rhodey has his undergrad in military history?”

“You did not,” Steve said, in a falsely-bright tone. “But it’s interesting you would mention that, because Buck here was always real good at history when we were in school.”

“Shut up, Steve,” said Bucky.

His so-called best friend clapped him on his good shoulder. “You know, I should help Tony with the adjustments to your arm, Buck. So maybe you could see if Rhodey’s hungry after his trip in?”

Bucky glared at him, but Steve just continued to smile until Bucky sighed and held out his hand, letting Steve help him down from the workbench. “Only because I’m hungry myself,” he said. “And because I don’t wanna stick around watching you and Stark make goo-goo eyes at each other while you fix my arm.”

“Goo-goo?” Tony repeated, scandalized, but Rhodey laughed.

“Food sounds pretty good, actually,” he said. “If you don’t mind?”

Bucky waved him toward the elevator. “After you, colonel.”

“Rhodey, please. Or… Jim.”

The other man smiled. “Bucky. Nobody ever calls me James.”

“Fair enough,” Rhodey laughed. “You know, they’re trying to set us up.”

Bucky looked at him for a long moment, then smiled. “I think we should let them.”

Rhodey— Jim— smiled back.

THE END


End file.
